2003 Factory Stereo Replacement

[Wildpenguin]

Hey all. I have a 2003 LE Corolla (4 speaker stereo). I'm thinking to replace my factory CD/Tape Deck stereo with a single DIN aux/mp3 capable one. My question is, how to fill up the gaping hole where the 2nd DIN is. Do they sell those compartment type things (don't know the proper name for them)? I'm thinking of getting it from Crutchfield and I'm not sure what they include in the kit.
Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[NMGeorge]

I bet that Crutchfield has a kit for that

[bennor]

What you need is what's called a "dash kit" like the one sold at Amazon (and other places)

Metra-99-8204-Toyota-Corolla-03-07

Metra-99-8204-Toyota-Corolla-03-07

For those who use a double DIN radio then Metra (Metra Electronics Corp. - 95-8204) makes one for those radios in 03 and up Corollas as well.

ETA: Crutchfield lists this Scosche Dask Kit as 03 and for the single DIN dash kit install.

[Wildpenguin]

Thanks guys. I ordered a SONY GT640UI from Crutchfield which includes the kit. Now hopefully I could install it without breaking anything.......

[touringcamry]

Looks like they give you the dash kit and the wiring harness, but do you have the tools to crimp the wires?

[towtruck]

Would really like to hear how you made out with this. I am considering going the Crutchfield route as well for my '05 Corolla.

[bennor]

In some cases Metra and others have a wiring harness pre made that connects the radio to the car radio plugs. It bypasses the need to solder, crimp, or tape the wires.

When I put an Alpine cd/radio into a Nissan a few years ago it took less than 10 minutes due to the pre made Metra Alpine wire harness. Makes putting the factory radio back in (if you do that when selling the car) much easier.

[Wildpenguin]

I do have strippers but no crimp caps. I guess I could grab them from Radio Shack or some hardware store if I need to. But Crutchfield throws in a harness too so I might be all set.

According to the package tracking it should arrive tomorrow. I plan to try to install this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes...

Thanks again.

[NMGeorge]

I've had very good luck with their kits, they're pretty well thought out.

Good luck,

[Ohiowa]

I would highly recommend using Metra kits over the other kits on the market. A little easier to work with and sturdier support for the deck.

Also, buy a soldering iron kit from Home Depot (like ten bucks) to do your harness connections. A lot sturdier connections and much more reliable. Make sure you connect the dimmer circuit (orange/white stripe) so your deck display will automatically dim when your headlights are on (if the aftermarket deck supports this function).

Make sure your wiring harnesses are as tight as possible inside the dash before you put everything back together so they won't rattle. I've had to take my dash apart twice to fix rattles related to loose wiring rubbing/rattling against the frame inside the dash.

I've actually had to install a new deck in my dash twice (the same deck and dash trim kit) due to theft. I can do it in 15 minutes flat.

[touringcamry]

If they haven't soldered before, it would be better to crimp the wires. Less chance of them making a cold solder joint.

[Wildpenguin]

Hi everyone. Sorry for the late update. Some things had come up and I wasn't able to do much of anything for a while. But I finally did install the stereo last night! Sorry I don't have pics but I do have some tips.

Crutchfield did supply the so called "Master Sheet" which has instructions on how to remove the factory stereo from your car. However, the instructions are fairly basic and does not detail how to do the wiring. Fortunately, the harness was provided and did come with basic instructions on how to connect the harness. The kit actually contained two harnesses that needed to be wired. Matching the wire colors was pretty simple, just watch out for same colors with stripes (straight orange wire as opposed to orange wire with white stripe). I think I had two wires left over that didn't match anything. I just taped them off. I noticed that the harness did include a "c" shape blade connector on the end of black ground wire to screw to the chassis. However the ground wire from the car matched up with one on the harness so I snipped off the blade end and crimp capped it.

Removing the center dash was simple, just follow the directions. The only thing I had to unplug was the 12V for the lighter socket. I let the other wires for the Rear View Heater and Emergencies just hang. The biggest pain I had was figuring out the plastic tabs that attach the smaller dashboard cover piece (the part with vents) to the stereo mount. I was super paranoid about breaking a tab (cheap plastic) so I fiddled around for quite a while before I figured out that the little center tab pulls up. Be very, very careful as these tabs are fragile! However, once I got the dash face off, everything was a cinch. Wiring was tedius and I went the route of crimp caps and electrical tape (not very experienced with soldering). I took extra care with wiring and taping, taping the caps to the wires tightly. With the harness and all I ended up with a big jumble of wires. I taped them all together to minimize rattling.

The actual installation was a cinch. I did notice that the Scosch Dash Kit seemed kinda flimsy and the new stereo had some wiggle room. I used 2 sided tape in a few areas to ensure a snug fit. Once in though it seems solid. It plugged in and started up without a hitch!

Overall it took me just under 3 hours. I can honestly say though that now that I know what to do, I could do it in less than half the time. The hardest part (for me) was figuring out what to move/detach as, like I said before, I am very paranoid about breaking anything so I took extra time. Crutchfield was a little more expensive but for a newbie like me, the included instructions were helpful. For those with experience and/or confidence, you can order the parts somewhere else for a little bit less.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer my post!